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Solar-powered plan lands in India on 2nd leg of world trip

Crew members gather to push the Solar Impulse 2 toward a hangar after it landed Tuesday night at an airport in Ahmadabad, India. (Associated Press)
Associated Press

AHMADABAD, India – A Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft landed Tuesday night in western India, completing the second leg – and its first sea crossing – of its historic round-the-world trip.

The Solar Impulse 2 touched down at Ahmadabad airport about 16 hours after it took off from Muscat, Oman, for the 910-mile flight without a drop of fuel. The journey began Monday in Abu Dhabi.

The world’s first aircraft powered by solar energy was to remain in Ahmadabad for two days before flying to the holy city of Varanasi in northern India on Saturday.

The Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Boschberg, are taking turns at the controls of the aircraft. The aircraft’s wings are covered by more than 17,000 solar cells.